


The Naming of Newsies

by Beth Harker (Beth_Harker)



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: Canon Era, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-26
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-27 21:09:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17169443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth_Harker/pseuds/Beth%20Harker
Summary: Les attempts to pick a newsie name for himself.





	The Naming of Newsies

“Arthur,” Les announced out of the blue, causing David to look up from the book he was reading.

“What?”

“Well, all the other guys have these great names, like Tumbler and Snipeshooter. Maybe my newsie name could be Arthur.” 

“But that’s… it’s just another name,” David said doubtfully. Then again, he’d heard rumors that Jake had been born Emile, and switched to Jake one day in order to sound more American (or more masculine, depending on who you asked.). 

“I meant like King Arthur of the Round Table,” Les explained. “But maybe the other guys won’t know him. I could just be King. Or Sir Gawain. Maybe Knight.” 

“I don’t think you get to pick your name,” David said. He certainly wouldn’t have chosen to be called ‘the Walking Mouth’, but then again, he wasn’t sure he would have chosen to be called anything at all. The name his parents had given him suited him just fine. “People just start calling you something one day.” 

Les paused to think that over. “They call Jack Cowboy because he likes Cowboys and dresses like one. You think if I started dressing like a knight they’d call me Knight?” 

“What are you going to do, steal one of the soup pots out of the kitchen and use it for a hat?” David asked. Seeing a dangerous spark in his little brother’s eyes, he added quickly, “Everybody would laugh at you.” 

“But nobody would be able to knock me out when they punched me in the head,” Les insisted.

“Wait… Who’s punching you in the head?” David asked, suddenly alarmed.

“Nobody. But Spot says you need to be prepared for anything. Hey Dave, do you think he chose his newsie name?” 

David had to think about that one. It was hard to imagine Spot being called anything he didn’t choose, but it was equally hard to imagine him choosing the name he had instead of something grandiose and dangerous. “Try asking Spot next time he comes in from Brooklyn. Then tell me everything you learn.” 

“I will. Unless he swears me to secrecy. Spot likes me better than he likes you.”

David wondered where Les had come to this conclusion, since he hadn’t even spent that much time around Spot Conlon, but he decided to let it slide. It was always hard to tell where he stood with Spot anyway, and Spot could well prefer Les, fro all that David understood of him.

“And I’ll tell Jack to make everybody start calling me Knight,” Les decided. “I like that name.”


End file.
